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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24658144">melt for you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tessdebelle/pseuds/tessdebelle'>tessdebelle</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Avatar: The Last Airbender Universe, F/M, the person who dies isn't coulson or may i promise</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:13:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,277</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24658144</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tessdebelle/pseuds/tessdebelle</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Decades ago, Melinda May ran from home. Now her home is coming to her. ATLA AU.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Phil Coulson/Melinda May</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>melt for you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Okay, first off, IDK what this is, it's been bouncing around in my head for a while now so there it is, take it as you will. Second, the story is kind of a mish-mash of a couple different stories from the Avatar Universe, it's not one specific couple/character it's based on.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sound of snow and ice crouching under boots was familiar in the South Pole, and yet here in the North, it felt… Different. Phil couldn’t put his finger on what was so unique about the place, but it did feel more advanced and more stable than his tribe in the South. The Southern Water Tribe hadn’t been as fortified as the Northern, and as the attacks increased from the Fire Nation, they became weaker and weaker. The North Tribe, in contrast, maintained its stability – their walls were near impenetrable.</p><p>Phil had never been to the place, but he’d heard the stories. Now, in his role as protector of Avatar Daisy and the two members of his tribe who followed her along, he was determined to keep her safe – even if his interest in the Northern Tribe and the knowledge that she was protected by master Waterbenders made him a little less attentive. The feast the previous night had been one of the best meals he had eaten, and not just because he and his little team had been traveling for weeks with just rations of jerky and what else they could find. No, the Northern Tribe had gone out of their way to give them extreme accommodations, apologizing profusely when their highest level of trainer was unable to attend the feast. Daisy hadn’t minded, and the woman who was meant to train her had sent a missive requesting she appear at the training area the following morning.</p><p>Out of curiosity, wanting to see Daisy’s lessons for himself, Phil went to the training area along with her.</p><p>A team of Waterbenders were training and the head trainer had her back turned to them. All he could see was her fluid movements, the way her arms moved with the water like it was an extension of herself. She was petite, and her dark hair flowed down her back like a stream. “She’s as talented as they said.” Daisy whispered to him energetically. Phil smiled and nodded, far too entranced by her movements to reply. There was something about her that tugged on his mind, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>“Phil, come on!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The girl pulled Phil along and he laughed as they tumbled into the snow together. At just sixteen, he and Melinda were the only teens in the camp. With the call to action against the Fire Nation, everyone of age had been conscripted and joined the fight. They’d been thirteen and twelve, respectively, and hadn’t gone along with the warriors. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Now, Phil was the eldest man left in camp, and that responsibility weighed on his shoulders. He’d become more serious over the past three years, but Melinda was as spirited as ever. She had also developed her waterbending more in the past few years, and even though she couldn’t do much, she often experimented with it while he watched. Despite her lack of training, she was quick and graceful – according to the elders, she could one day be a master. If she had had that training, at least. For now, she had no one to train her and spent most of the days pestering him. But she managed to pull him out of the stress he sometimes found himself in, the responsibility of being the eldest man in camp at just sixteen weighing on his shoulders, and he was grateful for that.</em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>A snowball hit his back and he groaned exaggeratedly as Melinda launched herself at him, landing on top of him just as he rolled over, so that she landed with her head pillowed on his chest and legs tangled with his and the crunchy snow.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Curtains of dark hair surrounded his face, and Phil was reminded of just how much Melinda had grown up over the past few years. Somewhere along the line, his childhood friend had become his teenhood crush. She was beautiful, and funny, and smart, and everything he ever wanted. He thought back to the stone he was carving away in his own hut. In the old traditions, betrothal necklaces would be carved and gifted to one’s intended. Those traditions had long since faded away as the war came careening towards them, but Phil was still determined to give Melinda something special – even if his carving skills weren’t quite up to the task.</em>
</p><hr/><p>“Good session. I’ll see you all tomorrow morning.” The instructor said, her voice calm and cold like the ice she seemed to favor. The voice felt… Familiar, somehow. Had Phil seen this woman in the North Pole in the scant few hours he’d been here? Or maybe she had a relative, someone in the tribe that he’d met the previous night.</p><p>Daisy cleared her throat to draw attention to herself, and the trainer whipped around so fast that it was like ice cold water slicing their faces. Stormy brown eyes and a tightened jaw looked Daisy up and down, studying the young Avatar, before turning to Phil. And, if he hadn’t known that face as well as he knew his own, he wouldn’t have recognized the surprise and – and <em>fear </em>that graced it before a cold mask replaced her expressions. “Avatar Daisy.” She said, her voice stiff and tight. “Welcome to the Northern Tribe. You can call me Master May.”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>“Phil, Melinda!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her head jerking up from where she’d been leering over him, taunting him with promises of ice down his shirt and pranks, Melinda scrambled up as her mother came running, panic creasing Lian’s aged features. </em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Lian May was one of the head women of the tribe, and as mother to the last waterbender of the South, she was one of the most fearful of the attacks that had come more and more often. They’d come for Phil’s great-aunt last week, a woman who was far past her prime and could hardly lift a drop of water, simply because the threat of another bender scared them so deeply. “Mom? What’s wrong?” Melinda asked, her playful nature dropping at the first sign of danger. Phil stood with her, brushing ice and snow off of his clothing and looking at Lian. Melinda’s mother had protected their entire tribe as long as he could remember, and she was constantly reminding him to protect Melinda; if Phil didn’t know better, he’d think Lian didn’t like him. She was cold like the ice her daughter manipulated, but she had her moments of warmth that reminded him she did, in fact, care.</em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I need you to hide in the hut. Now.” Lian ordered, in a voice that allowed no exceptions. Well, not objections from him, as Melinda opened her mouth to respond. “No objections. Go.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Phil took Melinda’s arm, pulling her with him towards the ice huts. Just a few yards and they’d nearly entered when the snow began to fill with soot. </em>
</p><hr/><p>How was she here? Phil thought back to that fateful day in the South Pole, the last time he’d seen her. Her unwillingness to look at him. Melinda hadn’t told him that she’d even left – he’d just woken up the next morning to her having disappeared, a bottle beside his bed. They’d intended to share it; the bottle of expensive Fire Nation spirits looted from one of the abandoned ships. No note, no goodbye, nothing remained of her except that bottle – one which he still had in his rucksack. He’d only taken it because it was a nice reminder of a friend he’d lost over thirty years ago. The only reminder, since she’d left the bottle and taken what was supposed to be her betrothal necklace.</p><p>He’d left Daisy’s training the moment they made eye contact, much to Daisy’s confusion. He’d spoken about his interest in her training and helping her to grow, but the second he had the chance, he’d left because the thought of confronting his and Melinda’s past was terrifying. He was guilty, and yet – given the chance, he’d do the exact same thing.</p><p>Wandering the passages of the Northern city, he wondered how she’d even come to this place. Back when he’d known her, her training was a distant hope, something that she wanted to do but had long-since believed wasn’t possible. He remembered when she’d first discovered that she was a Waterbender – they were ice skating. It was a rare treat in the South Pole, because although they had ice everywhere, most places it wasn’t smooth enough to skate. Melinda’s father had to sharpen blades and fashion them onto straps in order to use them, but it had been her eighth birthday and a surprise. She’d done it since she was little, but Phil had never skated before.</p><p>That year, he’d joined her. Melinda was a natural on the ice, moving as smooth as an eight-year-old could on sharp blades, but he was horrid. Falling flat onto his back multiple times, a particularly hard fall caused the ice to begin to crack. Melinda, fast and competent in her skating prowess, had been able to get away just in time for a chunk of ice to collapse.</p><p>Phil hadn’t been quite so lucky.</p><p>His chunk of ice flipped and he had been drenched in the frigid waters, struggling and scrabbling at the edges of the ice. The two of them were unsupervised, and Melinda tried to pull him up, but the ice began breaking beneath her and they would have both ended up under.</p><p>And then, something amazing happened.</p><p>The water stopped freezing his limbs and started to become almost comfortable – a warm, weighted blanket that covered him and held him close, like it wanted to protect. It dragged him onto the unbroken ice, heaving him onto it and to safety. He’d been coughing, panting hard from the exertion, and looked up to see Melinda. Her hands were raised, her body moving as an extension of the waters, and it began to slowly release him. Her eerie calm let the water drop back beneath the ice, and left him completely dry, and left her – a Waterbender.</p><p>Before the war, this would have been celebrated in their tribe. A feast would have been prepared, trainers would have been arranged. Her abilities would be honed over time and become a skill. But, with the stirrings of a war weighing down on everyone, waterbending made Melinda a target. So her training took a backseat to trying to protect her. And then Melinda’s father went into the war, as did Phil’s, and her mother grew more and more protective of her as the attacks became more targeted – towards the benders who remained in the South Pole.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>T</em>
  <em>he black soot meant that a Fire Nation ship had arrived at their shores. Phil, staring up at the sky in fear, tripped over his own feet, landing in the snow. Melinda stooped, trying to get him up, but her mother was faster. “Get into the hut, Qiaolian.” Her mother said, brushing her off. “I’ll take him. He’ll be there in just a moment.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Phil, surprised that her mother wasn’t keeping the hawk-like eye she usually did, stood with her help. “Phillip. I need you to do something for me.” Lian May said, brushing snow off of his shoulders.</em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Looking up into Lian’s eyes and seeing storms of fear, Phil nodded, determined to be an adult. To fight. He could do that – he could be the warrior they always wanted him to be.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Couldn’t he?</em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“Protect Melinda. No matter what happens, don’t let her make a sound or get out of that hut until the soldiers are gone. Okay? That’s an order. You have to protect her for me.”</em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Phil didn’t understand. He wanted to be a soldier, but she wanted him to stay back. He nodded, and Lian then did what he had never seen her do – give him a hug. “Take care of her for me.” She whispered into his ear before pushing him away.</em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Launching into a run, Phil got into the hut, seeing Melinda there looking more afraid than he’d ever seen her.</em>
</p><hr/><p>“You ran out pretty quick from my training.”</p><p>Phil turned upon seeing Daisy and felt his grin slowly spread. Even though he was struggling with what to do at the moment, he was still proud of the young Avatar. Despite being an Earthbender by nature, he felt more like she was his family than anyone from his own tribe – except, perhaps, Melinda.</p><p>She had been gifted traditional northern water tribe clothing, and she looked every bit the hero she was intended to be, one day. “I wanted to explore the city.” He lied. While it was beautiful, a magical snowy expanse with fantastic building structures and canals, he’d left for a very different reason. A reason that he wasn’t sure Daisy should know. “How was your,” he cleared his throat, trying to keep from asking about her trainer. “how did your first day of training go?”</p><p>Daisy joined him in leaning against the edge of the bridge, staring at the ice-cold water that sparkled beneath them. “Pretty good. Master May claims I’m not taking things seriously, but she was smiling when I threw a snowball at her, so I think I’m getting through to her.”</p><p>His spine stiffened hearing about Melinda. He knew exactly the expression Daisy described – the one where she ducked her head and her hair fell onto her cheek, hiding her smile. How her eyes went down and her lashes brushed the tops of her cheeks, color filling her face in the brisk air of the poles. How was it that, even though she had last been a teen when he’d seen her, she’d only grown more beautiful as she’d aged? “After you stopped by, she seemed off for a bit, but she got back to training pretty quick. Dunno.”</p><p>Despite Daisy’s claims not to know what was going on, Phil was almost sure Daisy knew something was up. It wasn’t like the trainee not to catch on. “She was raised in the South Pole.” He said, looking at Daisy. “But I’m guessing you figured that out already?”</p><p>Daisy shrugged one shoulder. “I had a feeling something was up. You knew her?”</p><p>Avoiding the young Avatar’s eyes, Phil nodded. “She and I grew up together. She was my best friend.”</p><p>Surprisingly, Daisy snorted. “Really? Maybe she was different when she was younger, because she seemed kinda… well, definitely not like you.”</p><p>“May used to be different.” He began, recalling memories with her. “Fearless in a different way.” He paused. He spoke like he knew her now – and maybe he didn’t, but he felt like he did. Somewhere within him, he still knew her, and seeing her today had only confirmed what he’d suspected of her life after she’d left. “Getting in trouble, pulling pranks, thought rules were meant to be broken. Sound familiar?” He asked, bumping his shoulder against Daisy’s. She chuckled.</p><p>“So, what happened to her? You looked surprised to see her here.”</p><p>Phil sighed, looking down at his reflection. He’d asked himself for years what happened to her and where she’d gone, and even felt angry that she hadn’t thought to say goodbye. Now he just felt pain for her, and fear that what she’d experienced would eat her up inside. Guilt at what he’d done. “I didn’t know she was here. She left because of something I did.”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Getting into the hut, Phil knelt beside Melinda as the two of them peered out the window. A fire nation ship had breached their shores, incapacitated the remaining members of the camp. Phil felt Melinda’s hand intertwining in his, felt her cold fingers wrapping around his own in search of comfort. He tightened his hand. He’d protect her – even if her mother hadn’t asked him to, he would have gone to the ends of the four nations if it meant she’d be safe. A fire nation general approached Lian. She’d once been an excellent fighter, but age and pain had worn her down, and she didn’t appear looking to fight. Still, her pride was evident and she refused to back down from the general.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Leave my tribe be. Haven’t you done enough?” She asked the general, who sneered down at her. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“We’re nearly finished.” The general said, a sadistic smile upon his face. “My sources tell me there is one waterbender remaining in your village. I just need a name, and we will be gone from your little tribe.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Phil tightened his grip on Melinda. He felt her shaking and looked at her, next to him. She was terrified, and started to move, but Phil heard Lian’s voice in his head, the order to protect her. He held her, as they continued to watch. “There are no waterbenders here. You’ve taken them all.” Lian growled.</em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>The general produced a tiny knife from somewhere in his armor and held it against Lian’s throat. Despite the fact that she was at the sharp edge of his blade, she remained calm, collected. “You’re lying. Tell me, now!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You swear on your life, that you will leave if I tell you who the last waterbender is?” The general nodded. The village was so silent, Phil could practically hear the snow falling onto the ground, the sound of Lian’s breathing against the blade. “It’s me.”</em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Those two little words spurred Melinda into action. She tried to get up and Phil, knowing what Lian had meant now, held onto her, tight. Melinda was quick and agile, but Phil had a tight enough grip that she wasn’t able to move if he held enough. She squirmed against him, hitting his ribs, slamming her feet into his legs and trying to get away. She was about to scream and he had to clamp his hand down over her mouth so she didn’t alert the general to her presence, didn’t tell the general the truth. The last waterbender wept in his arms, fighting against him, screaming muffled hate into his palm and trying to attack in order to get away before her mother sacrificed herself to save her daughter.</em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Icy tears fell onto Phil’s hand as Melinda sobbed, tears freezing in the bitter cold air as she tried to get away. Phil refused to move, the orders Lian had given him keeping him in place. No matter what happens. Lian knew what she was doing, but that didn’t make it any easier. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Take me as your prisoner.” Lian said after what had felt like hours but had merely been a scant few moments. Melinda fought harder, fists against his chest as she tried to get away, to save her mother’s life.</em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m afraid I’m not taking prisoners today.” The general growled. With a quick flick of his knife, Lian May was on the ground, her blood soaking into the snow as Melinda sobbed in his arms, slumping against him in defeat at the sight of her mother, dead in the snow.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Phil laid awake at the North Pole, the comfortable beds doing nothing to lull him into sleep. He’d refused to tell Daisy what he’d done to make Melinda leave, and he hadn’t spoken much for the rest of the night, either. He wasn’t sure where to do, how to move forward or even if he <em>should</em> move forward.</p><p>He didn’t regret what had happened. Regret would imply he shouldn’t have protected Melinda, and he knew it was right. It was, quite literally, Lian’s dying wish. And yet, he still felt the guilt on his conscience. He might not have held that knife, but Lian’s blood was still on his hands. That guilt had been a part of his life ever since that day, but only now did it come to the forefront of his mind, painful and sharp. He’d thought helping Daisy might make up for his actions, but he was a fool to believe that. Nothing he could do could fix it.</p><p>Giving up on sleep for the moment, Phil left the private room he’d been given in one of the many fortresses of the North Pole, venturing out for an evening walk around the city. All of its citizens had gone inside to avoid the frozen temperatures that came with night this far North, but Phil, bundled up in his warmest clothing, found the streets almost pleasant. The brisk air stung his face, but it felt like a smooth balm after the painful memories of the fire nation attack.</p><p>He found himself back at the arena where he’d seen Melinda again. Where Daisy would likely be training in a few hours. He’d expected it to be empty of people, thinking it might make a nice spot to think. Instead, he saw her there, in the center of the arena. Melinda was backlit by the bright moon, turned away from him once again, coaxing water into motions that seemed impossible. Rivers surrounded her in midair, wrapping themselves around her like a lover, bending coming as natural to her as breathing. He almost felt like he was overstepping by watching her, but he couldn’t stop.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Once the fire nation ship was safely out of the bay, Phil let go of Melinda. His hands stung and bruises were beginning to form on his arms, but all that mattered was her. Melinda scrambled away from him as quickly as she could, hatred blazing in her mahogany eyes. “How could you?!” She asked, enraged. Pain laced her voice and Phil opened and shut his mouth. Nothing could be an appropriate excuse.</em>
</p><p>
  
  <em>“She told me to protect you.” He whispered. “I’m sor –“ He hadn’t even managed to finish his statement. Melinda’s face glazed over in a steel coldness, her rage steaming off into pure ice. She stood on shaky legs, exiting the hut. Phil tried to follow her, but a wall of ice was brought up at the entrance to the hut, keeping him from her. By the time he’d knocked it down, she was gone. </em>
</p><hr/><p>So entranced in her bending, it took Phil a few seconds too long to realize that she’d stopped. When the water smacked onto the ground and Melinda spun to face him, he was caught staring at her in the moonlight. “I’m sorry.” He said in the softest tone he could manage, completing the words he’d never gotten to finish so many years ago.</p><p>That same ice that he’d seen before had once again crusted over Melinda’s features, and she moved to go past him, her fury evident. But this time, Phil refused to let her go – not yet. “Wait.” He said, grabbing her wrist. She was so cold, he thought he might find that his hand had turned blue. She spun back around to face him, and for just a second, the young girl stared back at him. The girl he’d been in love with, had foolish hopes to marry. The girl who, even now, was in all of his best memories.</p><p>“I thought it was obvious I didn't want to see you.” Melinda said. Her voice wobbled dangerously, as if she were on the verge of tears. Phil suspected she was, though he kept quiet about that.</p><p>He swallowed down a lump of grief in his throat, letting go of her wrist. “I’ll be gone in a few days.” He said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry for reminding you of… what happened. I’m sorry for everything. I know you can’t forgive me.”</p><p>Clearly, based on her expression, that wasn’t what Melinda had expected him to say. A fracture of her cold melted away, and she took in a calming breath. “You were protecting me. I understand that.” She said, avoiding his eyes.</p><p>Taking a chance, Phil stepped in closer. “That doesn’t make you hurt any less. It’s okay to be upset.” He said.</p><p>Closer to her now, Phil could study how she’d aged, how her young face had turned into an ageless beauty. Her hair curled in such thick, soft waves that he thought she might have channeled the ocean into it. Her brown eyes, so warm and soft, reminded him of the Earth kingdom’s lands that he’d only just gotten to see on the journey north. Her skin was soft and pale, and as his eyes journeyed down –</p><p>“So you did steal my necklace!” He exclaimed, stepping even closer to hold the pendant in his hand and study it. It was exactly as it had been the day she’d left, almost complete, with their names inscribed on the back. He looked up, as if to say more, before he realized that he was so close he could see every pore on her face, every fleck of gold in her eyes.</p><p>“That’s actually my necklace, Phil.” She said, a hint of warmth and teasing in her voice. “I had gone to say goodbye to you.” She confessed. “But I found this, and… I just couldn’t do it.”</p><p>He chuckled, his forehead resting against hers. “It’s alright. I don’t think I could do carving well enough to make you a proper betrothal necklace.”</p><p>A soft blush rose in Melinda’s cheeks and he grinned – there it was. The smile he’d known so well, had dreamt of for years. “Perhaps you could carve me a new one. There are people in the city better at it than you.” She teased gently.</p><p>He chuckled, his fingers brushing at her jawline. “I would like that. But first, there’s something else I had wanted to do.” He said. Cupping her cheek, he drew Melinda up to him, his other arm wrapping around her waist, and pulled her in for a kiss. Snow spun around them, but the cold didn’t matter – the ice around Melinda’s heart had melted.  </p>
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